Brother Bear
Brother Bear is a 2003 American animated adventure comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 44th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. In the film, an Inuit boy named Kenai pursues a bear in revenge for a battle that he provoked in which his older brother Sitka is killed. He tracks down the bear and kills it, but the Spirits, angered by this needless death, change Kenai into a bear himself as punishment. In order to be human again, Kenai must learn to see through another's eyes, feel through another's heart, and discover the meaning of brotherhood. The film was the third and final Disney animated feature produced primarily by the Feature Animation studio at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida; the studio was shut down in March 2004, not long after the release of this film in favor of computer animated features. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, but lost to another Walt Disney Pictures release, Pixar's Finding Nemo. A direct-to-video sequel, Brother Bear 2, was released on August 29, 2006. Plot The film is set in a post-ice age North America, where the local tribesmen believe all creatures are created through the Spirits, who are said to appear in the form of an aurora. Three brothers (Kenai, the youngest brother, Denahi, the middle brother and Sitka, the eldest brother) return to their tribe in order for Kenai to receive his totem, a necklace in the shape of an animal. The particular animal it represents symbolizes what he must achieve to call himself a man. Unlike Sitka, who gained the eagle of guidance, and Denahi, who gained the wolf of wisdom, Kenai receives the bear of love. He objects to this, stating that bears are thieves, and believes his point is made a fact when a bear takes some salmon. Kenai and his brothers pursue the bear, but a fight follows on a glacier, during which Sitka gives his life to save his brothers, although the bear survives. Vengeful, Kenai heads out to avenge Sitka. He chases the bear up onto a mountain and kills it. The Spirits, represented by Sitka's spirit in the form of a bald eagle, transform Kenai into a bear after the dead bear's body disappears. Denahi arrives, mistaking Kenai as dead, and believing the bear is responsible, vows to avenge Kenai by hunting it down. Kenny falls down some rapids, survives, and is healed by Tanana, the shaman of Kenai's tribe. She does not speak the bear language, but advises him to return to the mountain to find Sitka and be turned back to normal, but only when he corrects what he had done; she disappears without an explanation. Kenai quickly discovers the wildlife can talk, meeting two brother moose, Rutt and Tuke. He gets caught in a trap, but is freed by a chatty bear cub named Koda. They make a deal: Kenai will go with Koda to a nearby salmon run and then the cub will lead Kenai to the mountain. As the two eventually form a sibling-like bond, Koda reveals that his mother is missing. The two are hunted by Denahi, who is still determined to avenge Kenai, unaware that the bear he is pursuing is actually Kenai. Eventually, Kenai and Koda reach the salmon run, where a large number of bears live as a family, including the leader Tug, a grizzly bear. Kenai adjusts to his surroundings and becomes content with living with the other bears. During a discussion among the bears, Koda tells a story about his mother fighting human hunters, making Kenai realize that the bear he killed was Koda's mother. Guilty and horrified, Kenai runs away, but Koda soon finds him. Kenai reveals the truth to Koda, who runs away, grief-stricken. An apologetic Kenai leaves to reach the mountain. Ruth and Tuke, having had a falling out, reform their brotherhood in front of Koda, prompting him to go after Kenai. Denahi confronts Kenai on the mountain, but their fight is interrupted by Koda, who steals Denahi's hunting pike. Kenai goes to Koda's aid out of love, prompting Sitka to appear and turn him back into a human, much to Denahi and Koda's surprise. However, Kenai asks Sitka to transform him back into a bear so he can stay with Koda. Sitka complies, and Koda is reunited briefly with the spirit of his mother, before she and Sitka return to the Spirits. In the end, Kenai lives with the rest of the bears and gains his title as a man, through being a bear. Cast * Joaquin Phoenix as Kenai * Jeremy Suarez as Koda * Rick Moranis as Rutt * Dave Thomas as Tuke * Jason Raize as Denahi * D.B. Sweeney as Sitka * Joan Copeland as Tanana * Michael Clarke Duncan as Tug * Greg Proops as Male Lover Bear * Pauley Perrette as Female Lover Bear * Estelle Harris as Old Lady Bear * Bumper Robinson as Chipmunks * Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley as Inuit Narrator * Additional voices: Patrick Pinney - Male Bear #1, Brian Posehn, Phil Proctor - Inuit Tribe Members, Pamela Adlon, Bob Bergen - Horrified Fish, Rodger Bumpass - Male Bear #2, Jennifer Darling - Female Bear #2, Debi Derryberry - Female Bear #1, Bill Farmer - Edgar, Hope Levy, Sherry Lynn - Female Tribe Members, Mickie McGowan - Koda's Mom, Caitlin Rose Anderson, Trey Finney, Ben Johnson, Bethany Johnson, Luke Johnson, B. Wyatt Johnson, Jack Angel - Inuit Tribe Members, Justin Bradley - Baby Bears, Animal sound vocal effects, Tim Mertens & Willie Wheaton * Chorus: Maxi Anderson, Carmen Carter, Randy Crenshaw, Amy Keys, Rick Logan, Susie Stevens-Logan, Arnold McCuller, Josef Powell, Lamont Van Hook, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters Willard, Oren Waters, Fred White, Terry Wood & Terry Young Songs * Great Spirits (performed by Tina Turner) * Transformation (performed by The Bulgarian Women's Choir) * On My Way (performed by Phil Collins and Jeremy Suarez) * Welcome (performed by The Blind Boys of Alabama and Phil Collins) * No Way Out (performed by Phil Collins) * Look Through My Eyes (end credits) (performed by Phil Collins) * No Way Out (end credits) (performed by Phil Collins) International premieres * United States: October 20, 2003 * Canada: November 1, 2003 * Argentina: December 4, 2003 * United Kingdom: December 5, 2003 * Ireland: December 5, 2003 * Paraguay: December 5, 2003 * Uruguay: December 5, 2003 * Brazil: December 12, 2003 * Chile: December 12, 2003 * Mexico: December 17, 2003 * Panama: December 19, 2003 * Bolivia: December 25, 2003 * New Zealand: December 25, 2003 * Peru: December 25, 2003 * Australia: December 26, 2003 * Colombia: December 28, 2003 * Thailand: December 31, 2003 * Taiwan: January 16, 2004 * South Korea: January 17, 2004 * Hong Kong: January 22, 2004 * Poland: January 23, 2004 * France: January 28, 2004 * Philippines: January 28, 2004 * Bahrain: February 1, 2004 * Hungary: February 5, 2004 * Denmark: February 6, 2004 * Iceland: February 6, 2004 * Norway: February 6, 2004 * Sweden: February 6, 2004 * Belgium: February 11, 2004 * Netherlands: February 12, 2004 * Finland: February 13, 2004 * Greece: February 13, 2004 * Czech Republic: February 19, 2004 * Israel: February 27, 2004 * Romania: February 27, 2004 * Italy: March 5, 2004 * Turkey: March 5, 2004 * Slovenia: March 11, 2004 * Switzerland: March 12, 2004 * Japan: March 13, 2004 * Austria: March 18, 2004 * Germany: March 18, 2004 * Estonia: March 19, 2004 * South Africa: March 19, 2004 * Portugal: March 25, 2004 * Spain: March 26, 2004 * Egypt: April 7, 2004 * Croatia: April 8, 2004 * Lebanon: April 8, 2004 * Kuwait: May 12, 2004 * Russia: August 3, 2009 * Bulgaria: January 16, 2010 International titles * Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru: Tierra de osos * Brazil: Irmão Urso * Bulgaria: ? * Canada: Mon frère l'ours * Croatia: Legenda o medvjedu * Denmark: Bjørnebrødre * Estonia: Vennad karud * Finland: Karhuveljeni Koda * France: Frère des ours * Germany: Bärenbrüder * Greece: O adelfos mou, o arkoudos * Hungary: Mackótestvér * Italy: Koda, fratello orso * Japan: ブラザー・ベア (Burazaa bea) * Norway: Min bror bjørnen * Poland: Mój brat niedzwiedz * Portugal: Kenai e Koda * Russia: ? * Serbia: Brat meda * Slovenia: Medvedja brata * Sweden: Björnbröder * Turkey: Ayi kardes * Ukraine: ? International releases For information about international dubs and releases, Brother Bear/International. Category:2003 films Category:2000s American animated films Category:Films produced by Chuck Williams Category:Films directed by Aaron Blaise Category:Films directed by Robert Walker Category:Film scores by Phil Collins Category:Film scores by Mark Mancina Category:American musical films Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films Category:Walt Disney Pictures Category:Walt Disney Feature Animation